Got Goals?

August is always a difficult month for me. It’s the school holidays, so I have two small boys under my feet without any respite, and we go to stay with my parents, so I don’t have all my stuff with me. Several times, I’ve had to message my husband to send me files from my hard-drive, or to take photos of post-it notes around my desk!

Because of this, every year, I set up my schedule so that I have barely anything to do through August. This year, things didn’t quite go to plan.

Due to almost two weeks of complete childcare disruption before the holidays, and due to some important opportunities coming up at the last minute, August has turned out to be completely hectic!

It’s always the way when you plan something out perfectly. Still, I got through it, I survived. (And I had time to hit the beach!)

These were the goals I set for August:

Complete first draft of The Stray. Done.

Edit The Stray and prepare for publication. Done.

Release The Stray. Done.

Finish setting up website-based book sales. Didn’t do this, because I had to prioritise other things instead.

I’m really pleased to have got The Stray finished and released to my mailing list, and the reaction has been fantastic. I’m really happy with how it’s going.

I’m going to have to be really vague about my goals for September, because, frankly, I’m not sure what’s happening. There’s a lot of things I can’t talk about yet, and there’s a lot of things that aren’t yet set in stone.

So, the only goal I’m going to set now is to get some editing done on The Settling. And the rest of the month will have to be a case of crossing bridges as I come to them!

How did you do with your July goals? Have you been taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo? Join the Got Goals? Bloghop here.

I had two weeks of complete childcare disruption, and with a tight schedule on my current book, that was enough to really stall things.

So, I’ve had to reassess my publishing schedule for the rest of the year. That’s a big knock-on effect for two weeks of problems. But, that childcare is something I rely on entirely. My progress relies on it. My business does.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom by any stretch. It just means moving the goalposts. Switching things around. And that’s one of the great things about being an indie author; I have the freedom to do that.

So, with a wince, let’s assess my goals for June:

Finish current WIP, edit, and send to beta readers. I’m close to finishing my first run of edits. Now planning to get this to beta readers in August.

Order cover for current WIP. No point in doing this yet.

Set publishing date for current WIP. This will now be September.

Worldbuild for co-authoring project. Done!

Start worldbuilding for next series. Lots of this done too!

Set up streaming schedule. Pushing this back until September.

Set up website-based book sales. Partially done, I need to finish this off.

July goals. July is Camp NaNoWriMo, so most of my month will be taken up with that:

Complete Camp NaNo to 20k word target.

Finish first run of edits on The Settling.

Finish setting up website-based book sales.

How did you do with your goals for May? Join the Got Goals? Bloghop here.

May has absolutely flown by; caught up in bank holidays, and half-term holidays, all while still trying to get used to our new routine after Easter.

Since Easter, my youngest’s nursery hours have increased from 6 hours each week, to 16 hours, and it’s been absolute bliss! I’ve managed to do actual adult things; like spending all morning writing at a coffee shop!

Let’s have a look at how I’ve done with my goals for the month:

Complete first draft of current WIP. I am not quite there, but I am so close. Literally just a couple of more chapters to write. I’ll call that a semi-win!

Maintain podcast schedule. Still going strong!

Organise newsletter swaps for May boxset promotion. I managed to get 8 newsletter swaps for my boxset, which was really good considering the tight timing schedule on it. And, thus far, the sale is going fantastically well!

Plan giveaway. I did a boxset giveaway on Instagram which, to be honest, didn’t garner the results I’d hoped for. It was great, and there was lots of enthusiasm, but the reach wasn’t as good as I’d have liked. Ho hum. Lots of lessons learnt, and that’s what matters.

I can’t quite believe that I’m already looking forward to June, and it’s set to be a super busy month, with big, BIG plans.

Goals for June:

Finish current WIP, edit, and send to beta readers

Order cover for current WIP

Set publishing date for current WIP

Worldbuild for co-authoring project

Start worldbuilding for next series

Set up streaming schedule

Set up website-based book sales

Blimey! Yep, it’s gonna be a busy, busy month!

How did you do with your goals for May? Join the Got Goals? Bloghop here.

April has been a little bit of an odd month. I’m still on my Easter holidays for a couple more days, so I’m feeling somewhat detached from reality.

Adding to that feeling is the effect of Camp NaNoWriMo. Does that happen to anyone else? It kind of turns the month into a surreal blur, and when I mix it in with everything else that’s going on, it’s amazing that I still know which way is up! At least, I think I do. Just about.

Let’s look back at the goals I set for this month:

Complete Camp NaNoWriMo to 20k words. Obviously, we still have a few more days, but I’m ahead of my target wordcount, so I’m confident of completing this.

Launch podcast and website. Done and done. It’s been received really well, and my co-host and I have loads of really exciting plans for it. Check it out at greatwesternwoods.com

Maintain podcast schedule. So far so good, as well as keeping up with running our Instagram photo challenge.

Besides a three-out-of-three on my goals, I’ve also been working on some big things behind the scenes. You see; I may be on holiday, but work never stops!

With May bearing down on us, I’d better set some goals.

Complete first draft of current WIP

Maintain podcast schedule

Organise newsletter swaps for May boxset promotion

Plan giveaway

How did you do with your goals for April? Join the Got Goals? Bloghop here.

I’m also in talks about another exciting venture which I can’t talk about yet, and getting on with another which I will talk about in a moment.

First, let’s have a look at the goals I set for March:

Write my next book to at least 25k words. BIG fail. I only hit 6k words, which is, frankly, a pitiful effort. I have no good excuses either, just that this book is proving really, really difficult to get out of me. It’ll come.

Update all my mailing list funnels. I’ve been putting this job off for months because it’s such a pain. I’m so happy that I can finally say that I’ve done it!

Run a successful workshop. Yes, it was fab!

Plan at least the next 6 months. Another yes!

I suspect April is going to be a bit of a mixed bag. On April 1st, I’m relaunching my worldbuilding podcast, The Great Western Woods, along with a brand new co-host. Really excited about that; particularly because we seem to work so well together. It’s going to be fantastic.

April also brings another dose of Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m really hoping that the NaNo spirit will give me the drive I need to push my current book past the painful point, and through into where the story flows. BUT, that being said, April also brings two weeks of school holidays, which makes things really tricky. So I’m only setting a NaNo goal of 20k words.

Frankly, I’m just going to have to hold on tight in April, and hope it works out ok!

April goals:

Complete Camp NaNoWriMo to 20k words

Launch podcast and website

Maintain podcast schedule

Frankly, I think that’s enough to aim for in April. Wish me luck!

Did you manage to complete your goals for March? Join the Got Goals? Bloghop here.